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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28780704">Innocent</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMax76/pseuds/AMax76'>AMax76</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Brotherhood Trauma, Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom (Disney), Gen, Guilt, Implied/Referenced Character Death, implied but still bad, just minor characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:13:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,627</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28780704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMax76/pseuds/AMax76</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Quirin smiled as the man led his son away. Then his face fell as he turned back to his siblings. They still had that horrified, hollow look about them. He took them by the arms and led them to where Hector’s animals were waiting.<br/>It was going to be a long night.</p>
<p>Things don't go well when Cassandra uses the Mindtrap. The Brotherhood has to deal with the results and with their own guilt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adira &amp; Hector &amp; Quirin &amp; Varian (Disney: Tangled), Adira &amp; Hector &amp; Quirin (Disney: Tangled), Quirin &amp; Varian (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Innocent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Sometimes it takes me weeks to write a one-shot.<br/>Sometimes school has just started back and I'm filled with the sudden urge to do anything but listen.</p>
<p>So the last one was all fluff. This one is not. Sorry.</p>
<p>Trigger warnings: character deaths, blood, panicking, self-deprecation</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adira liked the color red. It was what accented her outfit, what adorned half her face, what she had decorated her room with back in the Dark Kingdom. Red was invigorating, energizing, the color of the force of life itself.</p>
<p>But there was something sickening about <em>this</em> red, the red that stained her hands, the red that stained the cobblestones, the red that stained the backs of her eyelids every time she closed her eyes. She should have seen blue, the blue of the walls of Cassandra’s tower. But no, all she saw was the red that flooded her memory and made her vision swim. All she saw was the red that streaked a man’s forehead, dripping down over closed eyes, eyes that hadn’t opened for over a day, eyes that would never open again…</p>
<p>“Adira?”</p>
<p>She blinked up and was immediately met by red. Bright red, not dark, but she stepped back away from it. Her mouth moved up and down, trying to form words, but no sound escaped her lips. Her eyes darted around; she needed an escape, she needed the red in front of her to go away, she needed to <em>breathe</em>—</p>
<p>The red in front of her moved, stepping back. “You okay?”</p>
<p>She closed her eyes—visions of red flashed in her mind—no, no, that was bad. But the red was in front of her, too…</p>
<p>Then it was shoved aside, and yellow entered her sight. Yellow eyes, full of compassion, full of pain. Familiar and distant. Expressive and cold. A hand touched her face—the not-red side—and she leaned into the touch. Unusual for her. But this was her brother, and he understood, and she needed him. His hands dropped down to hers—not stained red—she saw red when she looked at them—and he guided her away from the man in red, from the other figure she distantly recognized as her king, over to the door. “Let’s get outta here,” he whispered.</p>
<p>She was familiar with red, but not like this. Not when the red belonged to an innocent.</p>
<p>O‴O‴O‴</p>
<p>Hector just wanted to leave, to go anywhere away from here. He didn’t like people. The only ones he ever really liked were his siblings. The years spent at the Great Tree didn’t bother him, as he was fine with pretending the rest of the world didn’t exist. He preferred the noise of birds chattering in the branches to the incessant chattering of people who had nothing better to remark on than the weather and the latest gossip. He preferred the company of his bearcats and rhino to human company. People made him uncomfortable, and he avoided them as much as possible.</p>
<p>Yet here he was, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, ready to fight a sorceress/demon/thing. Up on his rhino’s back, he was at least away from the crowd by a few feet. Quirin and his son stood nearby, having emerged from the castle with the others as it fell apart around them. Adira and King Edmund were on his other side. Adira still held a panicked look in her eyes. Hector hated that he recognized it, especially since he hadn’t seen her like that since the first time she’d had to take a life.</p>
<p>It was no surprise that he knew immediately what had happened. He had felt the same way as soon as he was freed from the Mindtrap’s control. Needing to get away from the king and the prince, he had started for the exit when he saw Adira. Ignoring the king’s questions of concern directed towards them, he had grabbed her and pulled her out of the room. Neither of them had been able to talk. When Eugene came over to them and told them that the others were still fighting for their lives and that they had to go help, both of the warriors had shoved their emotions back into their little boxes and gotten to work. They’d sort everything later.</p>
<p>But now, surrounded by the citizens who were determined to fight for their home and kingdom, who put their lives on the line for their freedom, he was struggling to keep calm. Last time he’d seen them, he’d been fighting them. He’d had his mind stolen and had become a machine in the hands of a maniac. He had lifted his sword against them and had not hesitated to attack. Now he was by their side, and all he wanted to do was be anywhere else but here.</p>
<p>
  <em>Is her father here?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Is her mother here?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Did she have siblings? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A pet that will wonder why she never came home?</em>
</p>
<p>How could he look any of them in the eyes? How did anyone here trust him not to stab them in the back, to turn on them and end their lives the way he had done just a day ago to an innocent?</p>
<p>O‴O‴O‴</p>
<p>Quirin would never be tired of having his son safe in his arms. The fight was over, at last, and Varian had run to him and tackled him in a bear hug. The boy was tired, but he was ecstatic; and, most importantly, he was alive.</p>
<p>
  <em>It could have been Varian.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It could have been Varian.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It wasn’t Varian.</em>
</p>
<p>He wanted to weep with relief, but a cold weight had settled in his lungs, freezing his breath, constricting his throat. He knew his son was fine. He had seen him after releasing him and the others from the portal. He had fought by his side when Zhan Tiri attacked. But every time he saw those bright blue eyes, his mind went back to the same thought.</p>
<p>
  <em>It could have been Varian.</em>
</p>
<p>But it wasn’t. The young man who had bravely challenged him in the hall, mere moments after Hector had followed Eugene and the king out to the tower, wasn’t Varian. The twenty-ish-year-old boy with bright blue eyes and mousy brown hair and a smattering of freckles across his nose, who had been elsewhere when his son and the others were trapped within the portal, wasn’t Varian. His son was fine.</p>
<p>And he hated himself for feeling happy about that.</p>
<p>And he hated himself for being upset that he was happy. He was a father. He was allowed to be glad his son was okay.</p>
<p>But what right did he have to celebrate his son’s safety when another family would mourn tonight? When a father would lament that he was unable to protect his son, when a mother would cry herself to sleep? What right did he have to hold his boy close and take him home and cook supper and pretend everything was okay? Who was he to be allowed to have his son safe with him, when he was the reason another family would have to live with the loss of an innocent?</p>
<p>O‴O‴O‴</p>
<p>“Are you okay?”</p>
<p>The soft voice broke him out of his spiraling thoughts. Varian was looking up at him in concern. He forced himself to smile and touched his son’s hair. “I’m alright.” Lying to Varian wasn’t okay, but he had no way of explaining to him what was going on in his mind. He looked around at the ruined courtyard. Most everyone appeared unscathed, the Sundrop and Moonstone granting the princess one final use of the healing incantation before disappearing into the heavens. The citizens were rallying, checking each other over and crying and laughing and shouting. And nearby, Hector ad Adira stood shoulder to shoulder, flinching at every loud noise and trying to make themselves look smaller than they were.</p>
<p>Oh, dear.</p>
<p>Their eyes met his across the courtyard. Both of them silently pleaded for help, for an exit. He hadn’t seen them look that distressed in years, and he understood exactly what they were feeling. The sooner they got out of here, the better.</p>
<p>Varian tapped on his arm. He looked down at him. “Dad, is something wrong? You’ve got that look on your face.”</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll be fine, son. Really.”</p>
<p>Movement across the courtyard caught his attention. The princess and the newly-discovered Dark Prince were talking to someone. It took a moment for him to recognize the formerly blue Moonstone thief. She smiled and hugged them and chatted away like nothing was wrong, like she hadn’t joined forces with a demon or enslaved him and his siblings or kidnapped and drugged his son.</p>
<p>“Quirin.” Adira and Hector had made their way over to him. “We need to talk,” the lady warrior said.</p>
<p>Quirin nodded. “I know.” Seeing Eugene making his way over, he motioned to him. “Your highness.”</p>
<p>Eugene winced. He had long ago given up the fight to get Quirin to stop calling him that. It wasn’t happening.</p>
<p>“Cassandra. Is she…”</p>
<p>“Fine now,” Eugene assured him. “She’s back on our side.”</p>
<p>He nodded. He’d deal with that later. “I need a favor. Can Varian stay here tonight?”</p>
<p>“What?” Varian looked up at his dad. “Dad, is everything okay?”</p>
<p>“I’ll explain later. I need to spend tonight with my siblings. We’ve got some things to talk about.” He pulled his son into a hug and ruffled his hair. “I’ll introduce all of you later. Just… I need some time. Is that alright, your highness?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Sure.”</p>
<p>“Keep an eye on him for me. Don’t let anything happen to him.”</p>
<p>“Yes sir.” He put a hand on Varian’s shoulder. “C’mon, Goggles, I’d say we deserve a proper kitchen raid. I’m talking cupcakes, croissants, the whole package!”</p>
<p>Quirin smiled as the man led his son away. Then his face fell as he turned back to his siblings. They still had that horrified, hollow look about them. He took them by the arms and led them to where Hector’s animals were waiting.</p>
<p>It was going to be a long night.</p>
<p>O‴O‴O‴</p>
<p>Adira stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was clean, no trace of red. The sash in her hand felt wrong, evil, and she set it aside and rejoined the others in the kitchen. Hector sat on the counter, throwing a knife into the wood over and over again. Quirin poured coffee into mugs and handed her one. It was good and strong, and it burned her mouth. She focused on that feeling. It hurt, but it was a welcome distraction. She hopped onto the counter next to Hector. Quirin handed their brother a cup and started to pull up a chair to sit next to them. Then he sighed and joined them on the counter instead. His foot tapped a soft rhythm on the side.</p>
<p>“I hate myself.” Hector put his head in his hands.</p>
<p>“Me too,” Adira concurred. “Did you…”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Quirin?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>She groaned and hit her head against the cabinets behind her. “What does that make us? We’re murderers. We killed people. Innocent people. What now?” Bringing the mug to her lips again, she let the bitterness capture her attention. It was easier to think about that than their current problem. Why could she not face this head-on? Come to terms with what they had done? What <em>she</em> had done?</p>
<p>“To be fair,” Hector grumbled, “We were sort of being controlled.”</p>
<p>“Did you hear her give an order to kill?” Adira growled back. “Did she, or did we make that decision ourselves? Is that who we are? Is that the sort of thing we’re capable of?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Quirin answered softly. “We are capable of that. But not without something that takes away a part of us. We decide what we do, who we are. The Mindtrap stole that from us. So yes; we can kill innocents if the barriers that keep us from doing so are torn down.”</p>
<p>“And who’s to say this hasn’t broken those barriers beyond repair?” Hector rasped. “What if this <em>is</em> who we are now? What if this happens again? What if someone we know is the victim? What if it’s the kid?”</p>
<p>Quirin flinched and bowed his head. Adira whacked Hector’s arm. “Idiot,” she growled. “Quirin, what do we do now?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Like it or not, we killed people. We’re probably capable of doing it again. There’s only one option.” He raised his eyes to look at first her, then Hector. “We have to face justice.”</p>
<p>“So… jail? I don’t do well being locked up,” Hector muttered. “Then again, I suppose it wouldn’t be a punishment if it was enjoyable. Fine. But what about Varian? What’s he going to do without you?”</p>
<p>Quirin massaged his temples. “I hate to leave him, but the princess can take care of him. Though I’m not comfortable with the thought of him staying in the palace. Maybe Lance and the girls would welcome him. He’s close to them.”</p>
<p>“This is going to crush him,” Adira reminded her brother. “He lost you once, remember?”</p>
<p>“This isn’t the same. He’ll understand. Eventually. I hope.” He met their eyes again. “I can’t ask either of you to do anything. This is your choice. If you want to leave Corona, I won’t stop you.”</p>
<p>Hector shook his head. “We all did this. I’ll stay.”</p>
<p>“Me too,” Adira agreed. “Just—it’s late. Can we have one more night? We’ll go to the palace in the morning.”</p>
<p>Quirin nodded.</p>
<p>“What if they choose to execute us?”</p>
<p>“They don’t really do that anymore. We’ll face life in prison at the worst. And that’s probably better than we deserve.”</p>
<p>Hector shook his head. “Can’t believe this is it. I always thought I’d die with a sword in my hand. Fighting for a cause. Never thought I’d waste away and die of old age in a cage.”</p>
<p>“It is what it is.” He hopped off the counter and took his siblings’ hands. “Forget it for now. We’ve got one more night. Everything else can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I want to hear what the two of you have been up to all these years.”</p>
<p>Adira smiled faintly. Part of her wanted to complain about Hector’s constant refusal to acknowledge the existence of the Sundrop and the way he constantly hindered her plans. But if this was her last night of freedom with her siblings, she would put aside petty arguments and enjoy the time she had left.</p>
<p>O‴O‴O‴</p>
<p>The morning after, Hector dragged himself out of bed and into the kitchen. The others weren’t awake yet, but he wasn’t used to sleeping late. The morning was still and silent, a peaceful start to what promised to be a turbulent day. He grabbed a loaf of bread and made his way to the front steps, closing the door behind him. His bearcats followed him out (Quirin had grumbled about having them in the house, but his son had a raccoon, so he could tolerate two binturongs). He tore the loaf in pieces and shared it with them. The calming stillness of the atmosphere seeped into his bones and allowed him to forget for a moment that this was the last morning he’d spend outside, watch the sunrise, see the light sparkling on the dew that collected on the grass. From now on, he would awake to the clanging of metal and the yelling of guards. He gritted his teeth just thinking of the abrasive noises and attitudes he’d have to put up with for the rest of his life.</p>
<p>Too soon, Adira and Quirin were interrupting his peaceful repose to remind him they had to go. His sister had still not replaced her face paint or red sash. He had a good guess why. He knelt down to hug his bearcats one last time. “Be good,” he whispered. “You’ll need to stay with Varian now. He’ll need the company. Watch out for him and that rat he calls a pet.” Then he made his way to the stable (Quirin had emphatically refused to allow a rhino in the house) to say goodbye to his last companion and give the same order. As he turned towards the road to the capital, that road that was both too long and not long enough, his pets whined softly behind him. They didn’t know why he wasn’t coming back. Like the girl’s, if she had any pets. He joined his siblings and started walking.</p>
<p>O‴O‴O‴</p>
<p>A heavy air hung over the palace as they walked through the double doors. Quirin stared around at the ashen faces of the maids and footmen, all of whom glanced away awkwardly as the Brotherhood passed. Two women ceased whispering when they got close and developed a sudden interest in the extravagant rug.</p>
<p>So they had heard, then.</p>
<p>Clanking footsteps marched towards them. Probably the guards, coming to arrest them already. This was what he wanted. So why did Quirin halt in his tracks? Why did a sudden fear strike through him now?</p>
<p>He hadn’t gotten to see Varian. He had wanted to say goodbye to his boy one last time, to hold him and hug him and tell him everything would be okay. Would Varian understand why he was doing this? Would he lash out like before, desperate to save him from his chosen fate? Would he hate Quirin for leaving him and decide he was better off without him?</p>
<p>The line of guards came into view, clattering down a hallway and passing in front of the Brotherhood. A few of the men looked up at them, but they quickly averted their eyes. None of them turned aside to arrest them. Before Quirin could analyze their behavior, he saw the prisoner led in the middle of the group, the captain at her side.</p>
<p>Her hunched shoulders and tear-streaked face stood at a contrast from her cheery behavior yesterday. When she saw the three warriors, her eyes widened. She whispered something to Eugene, who nodded solemnly. Quirin reflexively took a step back as she turned to them, hating his moment of fear. She could not do anything to him or his family.</p>
<p>What he didn’t expect was what she did next. “I’m sorry,” she gasped through her tears. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I’m sorry…” She shut her eyes and shook her head, letting Eugene lead her away. The soldiers kept walking, taking her out of their sight. Quirin watched her go, unable to keep from feeling vindicated. She would not go unpunished.</p>
<p>“She’d better not be my cellmate,” Adira grumbled. Quirin cracked a small smile. If the two of them were placed in a cell together, one of them wouldn’t last the night, and Adira wouldn’t be the one losing.</p>
<p>They kept walking, making their way to the throne room. The princess and Varian were already there, and both also appeared to have been crying. Ruddiger sat on his son’s shoulders, as always. At least Varian would have someone there for him when Quirin was gone. As soon as the doors opened and the young alchemist saw his father, he ran to him and threw his arms around him.</p>
<p>“We just heard,” he choked out. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Yesterday, Quirin had given him the wrong answer. Now, however, there was no way around it. He would find out the truth, anyway. “No,” he admitted. “But I will be.” He hugged Varian back, grateful for this last moment with him.</p>
<p>“Quirin, Adira, Hector,” the princess greeted formally. “I’m so sorry. We only heard this morning. Cassandra didn’t even know. A few of the villagers told us this morning what happened. Cassandra has been placed under arrest and is awaiting trial. How are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Not well,” he admitted. “That’s why we’ve come. We are prepared to offer ourselves up for arrest.”</p>
<p>Varian and Rapunzel gasped. The queen put a hand to her mouth. The king’s brow furrowed.</p>
<p>“Why?” the princess asked. “You didn’t do anything.”</p>
<p>“Three people are dead because of us,” Hector murmured. “Three innocent people.”</p>
<p>“That’s not your fault. You were being controlled!”</p>
<p>“By a woman who didn’t know we would do that,” Adira reminded her. “She didn’t tell us to kill anyone. We may not have done that of our own will, but it wasn’t hers, either. That’s a part of who we are, and we have to take the consequences of our actions.”</p>
<p>Varian shook his head. “But you never would have done that if she hadn’t turned you into her personal army. You’re not like that. You’d never hurt someone for no reason. She used you.”</p>
<p>Quirin touched his son’s shoulder. “Varian, I know this isn’t easy to understand. But the Brotherhood lives by an honor code, and that includes never hurting innocents. We have no choice but to accept punishment for our crimes.” He knelt down to be on his level. “Please listen. I need you to understand. I don’t want to leave you, but I can’t take the chance that I’ll hurt you too. The Mindtrap’s damage is done. I can’t fix this. So I have to accept the consequences.”</p>
<p>To his surprise, Varian grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him closer, his blue eyes flashing vehemently. “No, you listen. I know what it’s like to do bad things by will. I made my decisions. I didn’t have some weird rock controlling me. And maybe I didn’t kill people, but I still did so many bad things. And you know what? I’m not that person anymore. I won’t make the same mistakes. I got a second chance. So what makes you think you don’t deserve a second chance when you’re not even responsible for what you did?”</p>
<p>Quirin shook his head. “You paid for your actions. You spent a year in prison.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, for the choices I made. And after that, you helped me move on, to stop living in the past and thinking I would never be anything more than a villain. But you’re not a villain. You didn’t ask to have your free will taken from you. You are a victim. And it’s my job to help you now. The royal family already conferred and decided none of you were responsible for this.”</p>
<p>“But—” Hector started to argue, but Varian let go of Quirin and whirled on him.</p>
<p>“No. No buts. You can’t blame yourself for what she did to you.”</p>
<p>“She didn’t tell us to kill anyone!”</p>
<p>“But you wouldn’t have if she hadn’t used the Mindtrap,” the queen spoke up. “My daughter has told us much about you two, and we already knew Quirin, and I know none of you would have ever done this of your own free will. Whether or not Cassandra ordered you to kill anyone, she knew the risks when she chose to turn you into weapons. She knew what you were capable of doing, and she chose to use the Mindtrap anyway. That’s why she’s being arrested and you’re not.”</p>
<p>“There has to be something we can do to be punished,” Adira insisted. “It’s not fair to the families of the victims if we get off free.”</p>
<p>“Normally, I’d agree,” the king spoke for the first time. “But Varian was right, as much as it pains me to say that out loud. The three of you were acting under the control of Cassandra, and therefore, you are all victims.”</p>
<p>“I’ve got it!” Rapunzel suddenly exclaimed. “The three of you aren’t going to be satisfied with that answer, so how about a trial? Right here, right now. We’ll lay out all the evidence and come to a verdict.”</p>
<p>The warriors exchanged a skeptical look. “Don’t see why not,” Hector conceded. “As long as it’s fair.”</p>
<p>“Right!” She clasped her hands behind her back and started pacing. “So, we’ve had the families of the victims come forward. Two of them were present when Hector and Adira were being controlled, and they both attest to the fact that their eyes were glowing blue. Unfortunately, no one was present when the third young man was killed, but Eugene claims that Quirin was under the Mindtrap’s control.”</p>
<p>“Your highness, this is hardly an official trial,” Quirin insisted.</p>
<p>“Shush. This is an examination of evidence. Anyway, my point is, all of the victims’ families have been consulted, and not one of them blames any of you. They all understand that Cassandra was controlling you.”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“Secondly, there’s the ethical issues of the Mindtrap being used to steal your free will and turn you into weapons. Again, you did not choose to be controlled. Cassandra chose that for you. Thirdly, while Cassandra may not have given the order for you to kill anyone, she gave the order for you to fight for her. Knowing what you could do, the responsibility for this is on her.” Her voice broke as she condemned her friend. This could not be easy for her, and Quirin pitied her. She took a breath and continued. “Fourthly, when we spoke to Cassandra this morning, she absolved all of you of any wrongdoing and insisted that she was the only one at fault.”</p>
<p>“Is that legal?” Adira asked.</p>
<p>“Do you have any other evidence to add to the conversation?”</p>
<p>“Your highness, are you not at all concerned about the fact that we may kill again now that the Mindtrap has weakened our moral codes that prevent us from doing so?” Quirin crossed his arms, ignoring Varian’s glare. His son didn’t understand. This was what he had been afraid of.</p>
<p>She tapped her chin. “I hadn’t considered that.” Leaning over to her parents, she whispered with them for a moment. Then she nodded and turned back to the Brotherhood. “Very well. If it makes you more comfortable, you can take therapy with a psychologist I know. I’ll give you her information. And it also might make the people feel better, so you don’t have to worry about that, either. Fair?”</p>
<p>All three stood silent, unable to offer a refusal.</p>
<p>She turned and whispered with the king and queen for a moment more. Straightening up, she fixed a regal expression on her face and said, “We have come to a verdict. The court finds Quirin, Adira, and Hector innocent of all charges of murder.” Then she smiled softly. “And one day, I hope you’ll see that, too.”</p>
<p>Varian hugged Quirin again. He hugged back, still mildly in shock. Next to him, Adira and Hector looked just as perplexed. He tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. He’d been so sure that the royals would have no choice but to arrest them. But they were declaring them innocent now? Why?</p>
<p>“By the way,” the princess continued. “Since you were among Cassandra’s victims, you’ll probably have to testify at her trial. Sorry.”</p>
<p>That word again. Victims. They weren’t victims, were they? No, victims were people like the boy with blue eyes. People who had been hurt by someone with more power than them. People who had no say in their fate—</p>
<p>It started small, just a tiny pinprick of light in the clouded darkness of his understanding. He and his siblings were victims? They hadn’t asked to be controlled. They hadn’t asked to be forced to fight for her. Did that make them Cassandra’s victims? Because she held power over them?</p>
<p>Did that make them innocent?</p>
<p>He looked down at his son. Varian, his blue-eyed boy, whom he could have lost, who knew so much about the world, who had grown into a young man when he wasn’t around to see. Who was mature beyond his sixteen years. Varian believed in him, in his innocence, the way he believed in Varian and his goodness.</p>
<p>And if Varian believed in him, he would try for his son’s sake to understand and accept that he and his siblings were innocent.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I think it's fair to say that I know absolutely nothing about murder law codes of whatever century this is set in.</p>
<p>As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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